Yes, Business Networking is Still a Thing!

As an interior designer, business networking is critical to your long-term success. You will need to develop a circle of dependable contractors and referrals; people who can help you complete your client’s design projects on time and on budget. You’ll also need to work with a variety of suppliers: from draperies to carpeting; from plumbing fixtures to flooring; from lighting to wall coverings; and from furniture to accessories.

And yet, even with all of these people in your list of business contacts, you may be missing a vital resource to help you grow your design business: local realtors.

Design Trends for New Home Buyers

Why should you work with realtors? The best real estate agents work intimately with their clients, sometimes over decades-long periods, and will often have a better idea than builders about what buyers are looking for in a new home. Building relationships and networking with the realtors in your market can easily become mutually beneficial, with each of your providing leads and sharing information on market trends.

With this in mind, we share this information from an article from the folks at BuilderOnline.com, listing the design trends that are currently most in demand among home buyers, according to the realtors they surveyed:

• Open layouts
• Modern design
• Neutral color schemes
• Multigenerational floor plans
• First-floor master suites
• No dining rooms
• White kitchens
• Extra-large garages
• Big closets
• Barn-style sliding doors
• No vinyl floors
• Oversized master bathrooms
• Finished basements with 9-foot-high ceilings

Of course, questions remain: Are these home design trends realistic for a particular client? Are they as trendy in your market? DO home buyers seek these things for their own comfort or to boost eventual re-sale value? And many more.

Expanding your Business Network Expands your Resources

These questions are impossible to answer in a blog post designed for a national audience. However, if you’ve put in some time on business networking, developing a list of sources for goods and services – AND information, you’ll be able to keep your finger on the pulse of your marketplace, and will have the answers to all those questions.

Looking for interior design trends and tips? Get in touch with TD Fall today.